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Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) of Luxembourg celebrates as he crosses the finish line of the 95th Liege-Bastogne-Liege cycling race between Liege and Ans - Source: Getty -
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Right, here we go, yes, the grand boucle, the big loop; the travelling circus which is the Tour De France is almost upon us.
From its Formula 1 style time trial start around Monaco, to the climactic penultimate stage up to Mont Ventoux, the stage is set for the world's greatest month long soap opera.
All bets are off at the casino as the warriors of the road hit Monaco on July 4, with the length of the opening time trail long enough to show which of the big guns are on form.
The big difference this year is that the route is quite different from the traditional recipe of prologue - flat stages - time trail - alps/pyrenees - final time trail then Paris. Instead, it has only one mountain top finish before the Ventoux stage - there will be many banking everything on a final attack on the Mont.
With a couple of podium placers and ex-Tour winners at the start line, it could be a close one.
Predictions, yes, I've got a few, but first here is the initial instalment of my mini guide to the main teams in this years drama - in no particular order!
Silence-Lotto
Cadel Evans - Consider him the Raymond Poulidor of the current generation - the eternal second, forever the bridesmaid etc etc.
Former junior boy wonder of the mountain bike world with multiple world cup titles to his name, he is yet to dominate the road scene in the same way.
Lost the previous two years' Tours as his weak Belgian Silence-lotto team seems to be bizarrely uniterested in him winning - and it doesn't look like they'll help him much this year either.
Hence his riding style yawns back to the defensive but effective style of five time winner Miguel Indurain i.e. don't get dropped on the climbs and ride faster than everyone else in the time trails.
Exciting and gutsy he is not - ironically his team sponsor, Silence, is an anti-snoring medicine, hope they've got plenty of stock in for July.
His fellow Aussies love him, the rest of the world can't think why.
Full Team; Mickael Delage, Thomas Dekker, Cadel Evans, Sebastian Lang, Matthew Lloyd, Staf Scheirlinckx, Greg Van Avermaet, Jurgen Van den Broeck, Johan Vansummeren.
Cervelo Test Team
Basically, Frank and Andy Schlecks veloceraptor style blocking on Alpe D'Heuz - followed by the ride of his life to keep Evans at bay in the final Time Trail - won Carlos Sastre the Tour de France in 2008 - not forgetting team manager Bjine Riis's cunning sly fox team tactics.
Everything went to plan for Team CSC (now Team Saxo Bank) in 08; however a rift during the Tour of Spain between Riis and Sastre ended with Sastre leaving the team to lead the brand new Cervelo Test Team in 2009.
The Cervelo Test Team has had a great start to season in the single day spring classics, how it performs as a stage race team is yet to be proven, although Carlos did test his legs effectively against the other players on the massive 237km stage to Monte Petrano in the Giro.
Expect Team Saxo Bank to do him no favours, Bjine's not a man to cross!
Kiwi Hayden Roulston will be in there, using his best pursuit skills to lead out team sprinter Thor Hushovd, the man with possibly the best name in the peloton.
Full Team; Inigo Cuesta, Volodymir Gustov, Heinrich Haussler, Thor Hushovd, Andreas Klier, Brett Lancaster, José Angel Gomez Marchante, Hayden Roulston, Carlos Sastre.
Saxo Bank
Brothers on the Saxo Bank team, Andy and Frank Schleck have class written all over them.
Won the Tour for Sastre last year, Frank sacrificing his lead for Carlos, and Andy looking like he was on a Sunday cafe ride all the way around France.
Winner of the under 23 white jersey last year, it has been a good start for Andy so far this year, soloing to victory in the Leige Bastongne single day classic - not bad for a lad his age.
He'll win the Tour one day, might not be this year though.
Frank, the older brother, famous for his Alpe stage a few years ago, needs to step up - an early season crash might be the rest he needed to be fresh for the Tour, and he has shown he is starting to sharpen up by a win in his native Tour of Luxemburg.
The road will decide the leader in the Saxo Bank team this year.
Supported by ridiculously strong Swiss Fabian Cancellara, veteran Aussie battler Stuart O'Grady and German rouleur Jens Voight, Saxo certainly have the goods on paper.
Full Team;
Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Fabian
Cancellara, Stuart O'Grady, Gustav Larsson, Andy Schleck, Frank
Schleck, Chris Anker Sorensen, Nicki Sorensen and Jens
Voigt
Rabobank
Denis Menchov just nailed the Giro so will probably be too spent to make a huge impact on the overall, but he will be there to mess around and get in the way.
I suspect Menchov will be there to guide rising Dutch star Robert Gisink.
Although not truly tested in the big tours yet, Gisink is riding into form and will be dangerous in the time trails; I'd keep an eye on him in the mountains too.
Last year's Green jersey winner and good all rounder, Oscar Freire will be once again banging handlebars in the last few kilometres in search of points - showing the young fellas how you don't have to win each day to get to Paris in green.
Full Team; Stef Clement, Juan Antonio Flecha, Oscar Friere, Juan Manuel Garate, Robert Gesink, Denis Menchov, Grischa Niermann, Joost Posthuma, Laurens ten Dam.
Liquigas
Interestingly they are not fielding former favourite Ivan Basso, but instead concentrating on Italian Vincenzo Nibali and Czech Roman Kreuziger for a high placing.
Both are young, both are talented, and both could make the top 10.
As for the sprints, Daniele Bennati will be up there, his kick might not be the best but he is still strong.
Full Team; Daniele Bennati, Vincenzo Nibali, Franco Pellizotti, Roman Kreuziger, Fabio Sabatini, Alksandr Kuschynski, Alessandro Vanotti, Fredrik Willems, Brian Bach Vandborg.
Look at that, I made it though a whole Tour article without mentioning Lance Armstrong - ah dammit!
For part two of Russell's Tour de France team guide CLICK HERE
